South Carolina residents like you have a variety of ways to get help with funeral costs. There are plenty of national agencies that can give financial assistance, as well as standard loans. The one you choose depends on your situation and eligibility requirements.

This article will cover the top five ways to get help with funeral costs in South Carolina.

Top 5 Ways to Get Help with Funeral Costs

1. Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA provides burial assistance if you die during a natural disaster. Keep in mind that the disaster must be declared as such by the President at the time. However, both direct and indirect deaths qualify for this type of help with funeral costs. Let's look at an example so you can better understand how this works.

Say Person A drowned during a hurricane. This is considered a direct victim of a natural disaster (i.e., a hurricane). However, if Person B dies because the hurricane caused a power outage that prevented them from using their oxygen machine, they're an indirect victim. The money from FEMA is given as a last-resort option. But it covers caskets or urns for the burials, burial plots, and headstones or markers. Depending on your situation, it may cover part of or the full cost of these aspects.

2. Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits

Veteran Affairs offers a bunch of different funeral assistance benefits, depending on various factors. For example, even if a veteran dies in a way that wasn't related to military operations, the VA still pays $780 for burial costs. But if a veteran's death was service-related, they offer up to $2,000 in funeral cost assistance.

On top of that, surviving spouses may get an extra payout if their husband or wife dies during service duties. This includes veterans who die as a result of illnesses or injuries sustained during service, regardless of whether they're active at their time of death or not.

Additionally, the VA will cover the grave's opening and closing costs if the veteran is buried in a national cemetery. Plus, Veterans Affairs provides the gravestone and a burial flag for the deceased's next of kin.

3. Medicaid Burial Benefits

While Medicaid doesn't directly pay out to help with funeral costs, recipients have the chance to set aside money from their Medicaid payments to save for future funeral-related expenses. If your loved one dies and they collected Medicaid, contact them to see if there are any funds in place to pay for their funeral. Make sure you contact the Medicaid helpline for your state to ensure you receive accurate information.

Some general guidelines to make this process easier are as follows:

1. Check whether there are other funds — Look through the paper trail left behind by your loved one. Determine whether their employer gave them life insurance. If so, you might be able to access funding this way. If they were a veteran, you can get financial burial and funeral assistance, as previously mentioned.
   
   
2. Speak with a funeral director or coroner — They will know the financial resources available to you. Honestly, they're probably your number one resource at this stage!
   
   
3. Chat with county admin — County administrators can point you in the correct funding direction. Your coroner or funeral director will typically give you the contact details. But if they haven't, check on your county's official website. Contact information should be listed.
   
   
4. Talk with the state administrator — Once you've worked your way through all the county assistance resources, it's time to check funding at the state level.

4. The TEARS Foundation

The TEARS foundation helps you pay for funerals for babies up to one year old, as well as fetuses after 20 weeks gestation. Depending on your situation, they pay the funeral home up to $500 to help with various funeral-related costs. You can also contact the Funeral Consumers Alliance, which will put you in touch with low-cost burial options in South Carolina.

5. South Carolina Title Loans

If you don't qualify for any of the above, you can turn to South Carolina title loans to cover funeral costs.

What is a title loan? It’s a way to get fast funding for your emergency using your lien-free vehicle title. Your car will be inspected to determine its value, and the amount of cash you qualify for will depend on the results of that inspection. With Carolina Title Loans, Inc., you can borrow between $601 and $15,000 to fund the event and give your loved ones the send-off they deserve.

The process is simple; the in-person part takes just half an hour, and you receive the money you require on the same or very next working day. All you need is a state-issued photo ID card, lien-free vehicle title, and a car, truck, or van.

Get South Carolina Title Loans Right Now!

You can use South Carolina online title loans to get help with funeral costs today. You'll get the money in a matter of moments. Start by giving us a call or completing our simple online request form.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.